The SDGs and the ‘Leave No One Behind Agenda’ in South Asia: Projections of Progress and the Benefits of Early Action

Amina Khan & Vaqar Ahmed

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Projections of progress: South Asian region

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17

Afghanistan B B E E E A F F F A F A

Bangladesh B E B E E C A B D C F F F D F A

Bhutan B B E C C A E A D F F A F B

India B C B D F D A F E F F A F B

Maldives A B C E A A E F A B

Nepal B B B C C B E B F A F F F D E A

Pakistan B D C E C A A C F F F F F A

Sri Lanka B D C D A A A B E F D A A

Projections of progress on SDG targets: country level

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Annual change needed to bring down to zero share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in South Asia by 2030 if governments start in:

12.6%        

  15.6%      

  20.2%    

  28.7%  

  49.2%

2015 2018 2021 2024 2027

Stuart et al (2016)

Role of Youth in Sustainable Development: Perspectives from South Asia

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Objectives of the study

• Analysis of constraints to youth employment in South Asia

• Identification of priority actions needed to accelerate progress on Goal 8 and particularly youth employment

• Identification of means of implementation and policy interventions to materialise priority actions (for youth employment)

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Methodology

• Use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore barriers and constraints to youth employment

• Comparative case study approach used to have a regional perspective of the issue. The case of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan were selected for in-depth analysis

• Followed a three step approach to derive priority policy actions for each country and the South Asian region as a whole

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Findings of the study

• Overlapping institutional roles and responsibilities

• Ineffective accountability mechanisms and weak monitoring system

• Missing social accountability initiatives

• Lack of partnerships endanger programme sustainability

• Issues of quality of certification

• Current programmes not reaching youth in informal sector

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Priority actions - 1000 days agenda

• Mapping of youth unemployment by region and community is crucial

• Central governments need to play the planning, coordination and monitoring role

• Encourage youth education and skills development through non-profit, civil society organisations and social enterprises

• Public sector secondary schools, colleges and universities should be encouraged to open their technical and vocational education and training facility for youth

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Policy actions - long term agenda

• Reform domestic regulations, taxes and subsidies to incentivise skill development

• Recommendations to address youth employment should be situated in an overall framework of youth engagement and the SDGs

• A deliberate effort will be needed to ensure a commitment to ‘leave no one behind’

• There is a need to develop a strong monitoring and accountability framework under public-private partnerships

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Early actions to achieve the SDGs

1. Countries must identify how to implement the SDG agenda coherently, bringing together all sectors and multiple political levels, with buy-in from finance ministries

2. Governments will need to mobilise resources by widening their tax base and through innovative financing mechanisms. The international community must go beyond traditional development assistance, cooperating with developing countries to enable them to raise resources

3. Global and regional cooperation are important, in particular for technology transfer and South-South cooperation. Their institutional architecture must be negotiated on fair terms to meet the needs of developing countries

4. The SDG agenda should leave no one behind, which requires disaggregated data, evidence-based policy-making and accountability. Universal policies, which could include affirmative action, may have a greater chance of reaching excluded groups than targeted policies

5. The focus on ‘review and follow-up’ – instead of ‘monitoring and accountability’ – risks letting governments off the hook. National and regional efforts, including those of civil society, can and should hold government accountable

Questions to consider

• How should governments aim to adapt the SDGs to suit national and sub-national contexts, i.e., to localise the SDGs?

• What priority actions should national and sub-national governments take to ensure no one is left behind?

• How should countries plan to produce the relevant data to track progress towards the goals?

• How should countries finance the SDGs and what lessons do we have from financing the MDGs?

• What role should non-governmental actors including the private sector and civil society play in the implementation of the SDGs?

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